24 HABITS AND INSTINCTS OP ANIMALS. CHAP. I. 



antelopes, ill provided with defensive means, uniformly 

 employ a sentinel, which, by a sharp hiss, advertises 

 the herd of the approach of danger, when all fly off 

 with the greatest rapidity. The same habit is attri- 

 buted to the wild horses of South America and Tartary. 

 Several of the Brazilian monkeys have likewise a si- 

 milar guard during the hours of repose ; but whether 

 Smellie * is correct in stating that, if they find their 

 sentry has neglected his duty, they fall on and tear him 

 to pieces, we had no means of discovering. It is in- 

 teresting to observe the manner in which instinct will 

 sometimes overcome a difficulty which might even puzzle 

 a reasonable creature. It has been stated that, if two 

 mountain goats encounter each other upon a narrow 

 ledge of rocks, where to pass or to turn is utterly im- 

 possible, one will immediately lie down, while the other 

 steps over its back. Nor is it less singular to remark 

 the mode by which animals in similar situations com- 

 municate their wants and their distresses. An anecdote 

 of this nature is told of a number of sheep, who sur- 

 rounded a cow, as if they wished to bespeak her favour 

 for a poor gravid ewe, which was unable to recover 

 herself from her miserable situation, until the cow, ad- 

 vancing towards her, placed the tip of her horns beneath 

 her side, and gave her a slight but dextrous toss, which 

 instantly replaced the sufferer upon her feet. We must 

 place this, however, among the questionable list of 

 stories handed down of animal instinct.t 



(29.) But the most astonishing development of in- 

 stinct at least, among quadrupeds will be found in 

 the following account of "the decoy elephants of India, 

 the fidelity of which may be fully depended upon, as the 

 facts are well known to almost every one who has re- 

 sided any time in India : ' ' The females selected for 

 this extraordinary undertaking are always those uniting 

 the qualities of great docility and affection to their 

 drivers with a full-grown stature ; for, without this 



Smellie, Phil, of Nat Hist. vol. L p. 400. 

 f Griff. Cur. vol. iv. p. 37. 



